Fake funeral notice scam "cruel and heartbreaking"

Criminals are sending fake notices claiming to be from Eubank Funeral Home all around the world, to get access to personal information.

The scam starts with an email subject that will make your heart drop: "Funeral notification."

Once you open the email, you see what looks like a legitimate Eubank Funeral Home logo.

Part of the email offers condolences for the loss of your friend.. Another will invite you to click a link to see the funeral invitation. Once you do, the scammer wins. Malware is downloaded to your computer, and your personal information is compromised.

"It's heartbreaking and angers me that someone would use our name and our color scheme from our web site to send out these emails. It's not from us. Our web site and our contact list have not been compromised," Bass says.

Bass has placed a notice on the company's web site. Eubank is a small funeral home in Canton, but now people all around the world know it's name.

"We've had lots of phone calls from the New England states, California, Wyoming, a couple from Canada, one or two from Australia," Bass says.

How is it this email has spread as far as Australia? Well, once you click on the link, scam artists have access to you entire contact list.

The danger of imposter scams like this, is they harp on your emotions, so they're quick to spread and hard to stop.

Bass is asking you to take advice from the Better Business Bureau.

"If you're not sure who's sending you the email just delete. Don't open," he says.

That will keep your information safe, and will save Bass hundreds of more phone calls and distraction from grieving families he's serving.

The Eubank staff has asked that if you get this email, please don't call them to report it. They have a short staff and are trying to serve local families.

If you have clicked on the link, run anti-malware and anti-virus programs on your computer and call a trusted computer technician.